Every NASCAR Nextel Cup team should have a guy like Lee Robertson.  Robertson shares with his fellow Arkansas natives, Bill and Gail Davis, the satisfaction that has stemmed from each successful stage of Bill Davis Racing’s expansion.  He has played a key role in the substantial growth of the BDR operations.

Robertson has been responsible for coordinating the construction of virtually every building in the personal and professional lives of the Davis’, including the couple’s first home together in Batesville, Ark., and the Bill Davis Trucking facilities, also located in Batesville.  Robertson also coordinated the construction of the NASCAR race shops the Davis’ built in North Carolina, which now encompass more than 125,000 square feet.

Robertson also created the first oversized NASCAR pit-road "war wagon" and can often be spotted on race day helping the No. 22 Caterpillar Racing team in the pits.

Let’s back up a bit

Robertson and Davis first met in 1975 when Davis moved to Batesville to work for Mark Martin’s late father, Julian Martin.  Davis met Robertson as he was moving into his apartment, 15 minutes after he got into Batesville.  Robertson lived in the apartment below and helped his new neighbor move in.

Robertson was building custom homes at the time the two young men first met.  As the friendship grew, the two started hanging out and—in a way—self-taught themselves when it came to building everything else, which eventually led to the two building Davis’ first race car.

Since then, they have worked in every shop they’ve built together, making sure each facility possesses functionality and a “workable” job environment.  Robertson works to make sure all BDR employees have all the right tools, the right space and efficiency in place, and he does that by seeking feedback and input from all angles.

Davis will still tell anyone who asks that he doesn’t know how BDR could have gotten to where it is today without Robertson, and that he has been an indispensable element to the many foundations of Davis’ businesses.

Many will refer to Robertson as the backbone of BDR, but most of all he has been Davis’ friend and confidant.  Both men admit their working relationship and friendship has worked quite simply because they just think alike.